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Record rookie class trying to overcome dubious history at Masters | Jeff Duncan

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Patrick Reed watches his shot on the 11th hole during the final round of the Cadillac Championship golf tournament in Doral, Fla. The rookie class at Augusta National might be the strongest ever at the Masters, from Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed to Victor Dubuisson and Jimmy Walker. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee, File)

The last time they played the
Masters Tournament without Woods, who is sidelined with a bad back, was 1994.
The last time they played the tournament without the iconic loblolly pine towering
above the No. 17 fairway was never.

A merciless ice storm felled
Ike's tree in February. A lingering back injury took down Tiger last week.

The absence of the game's
most famous player and its most infamous tree has given this year's Masters a
decidedly wide-open feel.

Three-time champion Phil
Mickelson is not fully fit. Rory McIlroy has never finished higher than 15th
at Augusta. And defending champion Adam Scott enters the tournament knowing
that only three men have ever repeated as champion: Jack Nicklaus (1965-66); Nick Faldo (1989-90); and Woods (2001-02).

Yet, McIlroy (9-1) Scott
(9-1) and Mickelson (12-1) are your three pre-tournament favorites, according
to Vegas sharpies. If that's not the utter definition of wide I don't what is.

So how many in the field of
97 players can win this year's Master's?

"I would say 70." McIlroy
said without blinking.

Mickelson concurred,
adding that the pool of viable contenders shrinks to less than a dozen if the
course plays firm and fast. "But if it doesn't, I think you're looking at
almost half the field."

No wonder so many
folks believe history could be made here this week, that this Masters more than
any in the post-Nick Faldo era could be won by a newbie.

Twenty-four players -- more
than quarter of the field of 97 players -- are making their Masters debut this
week. That's a record for the 81-year-old tournament.

Augusta National is a
welcoming place for just about everyone except rookie players. The last rookie
to win the event was Fuzzy Zoeller in 1979. Before that, there was a 45-year
drought. Horton Smith and Gene Sarazen won the first and second Masters in 1934
and 1935, respectively.

But times have changed. Competition
on the PGA Tour is unprecedented. Golf is undergoing a transition and its mob
of talented 20-somethings is more confident and competent than ever.

Fourteen of this year's
rookies are ranked among the top 60 players in the world, which is important
here. Angel Cabrera (No. 69 in 2009) is the only previous Masters champion to
be ranked outside the top 60. This year's rookie group has combined to win 24
tournaments in the PGA or European tours. Seven of the players are multi-time
winners.

"You've got a
lot of guys that can win, a lot of guys that have won PGA TOUR events," McIlroy
said. "... You've got guys that are coming here for the first time, like Patrick
Reed or Jordan Spieth, that I'm playing with the first two rounds, and they are
going to stand on the first tee on Thursday and think, I've got a great shot at
winning this tournament."

Reed is one of the most heralded
rookies in the field. He has won three Tour events since the Masters teed off a
year ago and enters the tournament ranked No. 23 in the world, which also
happens to be his age. The Augusta Chronicle ranked Reed third among rookies
with the best chance to win this Masters

"Whoever is playing the best
golf is going to win," said Reed, who grew up in Baton Rouge and graduated from
University High School. "Doesn't matter if you've played here once or if you've
played here 50 times."

Many veterans agreed with
Reed this week. Sure, it helps to have experienced the mob scene on Sunday. And
it's undoubtedly an advantage to have played on the notoriously challenging
Augusta National greens.

But, as Scott noted, there's
also something to be said for coming into such a hyped event "a little blind."
And as Jason Day said, younger players today are better trained and better
prepared than in years past, consequently making them more confident than ever.

"I don't see why not," said Jimmy
Walker, when asked if a rookie could don the iconic green jacket on Sunday. "I
don't think it's out of the question. I'm here to play well. And I'm here to
have a chance. ... So why couldn't a rookie win again?"

Walker's chances improved
dramatically last week when Woods withdrew from the tournament to undergo
surgery on a pinched nerve in his back. His absence has left a tangible void. Like
all the greats, Woods owns an unmistakable presence. You know when he walks
into a room or steps onto the tee box. His name was the first one fans,
reporters and competitors looked for on the giant green leaderboards that dot
the course. Playing the Masters without Tiger is like rolling Mardi Gras without
Rex.

Mickelson said it felt
"weird" and "awkward" without Woods around. McIlroy said there's a notable buzz
when Woods plays.

"I think people will miss him at the start of the
week," McIlroy said. "But by the end of the week, when it comes down to who is
going to win the golf tournament, there's going to be a worthy winner and it will
produce a lot of excitement."